Gystgar
The Empire of Gystgar is a theocratic absolute monarchy. Its monarch is God-Emperor Maximus Gyst CCI. While the Emperor rules absolute, there exists a religious and secular ruling body within the Empire, to allow for a delegation of duties. The capital of Gystgar is Varzk, located in the south, by the coast. It is a massive city filled with commerce and faith. It is after all where the Order of Gyst is headquartered. The Nation of Gystgar The nation of Gystgar has stood on the Continent of Aloria longer than any other nation. Now entering its third millennium, it has remained relatively unchanged throughout its history. Ruled by the God-Emperor of the Gystgari, an enigmatic position that to outsiders seems backwards and prideful, but to the Gystgari is nothing short of the only truth in this world. The Imperial Grand Army maintains the largest standing military on the continent, and has been in a continuous arms race with the Kingdom of Teutonium for the last few decades. The Imperial Aeronautica is the largest air fleet in the world, owing to Gystgar's large quantities of fuel for such craft. Meanwhile the Order of Gyst continuously sees to the spread and maintenance of the Cult of the God Emperor. Some say the highest in the Order are even capable of Miracles that some would call magic, and others tricks. The Founding Three thousand years ago, a lowly farmer by the name of Maximus Gyst toiled in his field to provide for his family. Everything he had ever done was for them, and nothing else mattered. Then, one fateful day, Maximus went into town to sell his harvest, and when he returned that night he found his farm burnt and his family abducted, Northern Raiders had plundered the entire area looting and burning. This event broke Maximus, and the only thing that mattered to him was getting his family back home alive. He went farm to farm, building to building, and gathered his friends and fellow villagers and they started a march to the city of Varzk to plead with the council for help. When they got there they found thousands of refugees fleeing the same terror. The Council refused to help any and barred the gates. Maximus was outraged by this and began to rally the people to his cause, he promised them vengeance, justice, and blood of those who had wronged them. A few short hours later the mighty walls of Varzk were scaled, and the city sacked by the mob. Maximus led his followers from city to city, ever growing his army of peasants on his march to the north wastelands. By the time they got to the northlands, the peasants had grown to respect this farmer who wanted his family back and talk began of what would happen after the coming battle. Then one clear day after a night of snowfall, the followers of Maximus crested a hill to find the camp of the Northmen army that had pillaged their lands. By this point the peasant horde outnumbered the northmen 8-1, and they charged down the hill wielding sticks, fists, and farm tools. With the Northerners defeated and their leaders nailed by their hands to nearby tree branches, the people rescued their families. Sadly Maximus’s wife and son were killed by their enslavers only days before. This realization crushed Maximus, but then it filled him with a resolve that few ever obtain. This would never happen again. And so he tended to his new friends and followers and led them back home, and once they returned the people as a sign of gratitude abandoned their previous affiliations and declared themselves the Gyst, and Maximus their king. Maximus never wanted this honor but took it if only to protect his people from the northerners. Maximus Gyst I, and his Godhood decades after the founding of the new state of Gysta, the people overthrew the corrupt council of Varzk and made the great city their capitol. And a time of prosperity and progress set in, as the farmer turned king ruled just and wisely over his people. Word spread quick around and across the bay of empires of this new King and his story, and the surrounding villages flocked to Varzk to pledge allegiance for protection from the Northern Raiders. As Gysta grew, and Maximus grew older, he had defeated and broken many northern armies, though his mission would never be complete. As he grew older, with no heir or queen, he adopted an orphan from the slums of Varzk, and raised him as a son. However soon enough his son became belligerent and petty, and Maximus knew all too well that when he finally died, his fight against the raids would be lost, in his sorrow he turned to the High priest of the gods for aid. The Priest, himself an original follower in Maximus’s first march north, delved into many dark and forbidden books to find an answer for this problem. Eventually he had an answer, and in a secret ritual after Maximus died, he was granted the ultimate reward for his service to the commoners; godhood. And shortly thereafter, his adopted son Maximus II seemed to change both in appearance and mind. After a year on the throne, he was almost indistinguishable from his fathers appearance at his age. Some speculate that the priests did an unholy act that day, others say that by elevating Maximus to godhood, they ensured the peoples safety for all time. But this is clear, Whoever becomes King of the Gyst’s people, becomes Gyst himself. And so the God-King was born. The Rise of Gystgar after a thousand years, and many hosts the God-King had finally broken the Northerners for the last time, and they swore an oath by all their gods to never again raid his kingdom. During this time Gysta had become known commonly as Gystgar, and it had slowly been expanding for centuries to protect more and more innocent souls from the north men. And Finally with the north men defeated, Gystgar could prosper and grow, bringing its wealth and civilization to all corners of the known world. Empire After two centuries of preparation following the northern surrender, The God-King sent forth his Legions to expand the boarders of Gystgar. After hundreds of years at war, Gystgar had defeated the Proto-Teuton nation, and subjugated the Rus tribes. Commerce and wealth flowed down stone roads to the city of Varzk. It was at this time when Maximus Gyst LXXXVI claimed the title of Emperor. The Dark Age After a millennium of growing, the Order of Gyst had finally censored and crushed all mention of the old or any outsider gods. The Order only taught and encouraged the worship of the God Emperor, and brutally persecuted all others who would deny his divinity. Though the Emperor found this trend distasteful, he did not actively oppose it, as it would only make his control on the future and safety of his subjects absolute. This led to an age of religious turmoil, and after a few hundred years of growing persecution by Gystgari knights and clerics, the Teutonic peoples raised the flag of rebellion against the Emperor, who moved to crush the insurrection shortly after their leader Teuvo sacked an important fortress city. After many battles, and great loss of life on both sides, the Emperor decided to meet with Teuvo in person to negotiate the future. The Emperor and Teuvo talked for a short time, and it was at this point that the Emperor realized what he had become. He had always wanted to safeguard his people from the northern invaders, and had intended to ensure the safety of all other peoples, but in so doing became the invader. The Teutons will have you believe that they won their war of independence through sheer military strength, however the Emperor willingly allowed them independence and returned their ethnic lands, as well as releasing the Rus under a new centralized government. Shortly after this event the polarizing differences between Gysgar and the new Teutonium became evident, and the spreading of atheism saw the Order of Gyst entering zealotry. (Further lore in writing)